Mary Casanova knew that there was talent and artistry - and mental illness - in her gene pool.
So in her third Rainy Lake historical novel, she spent some time at the St. Peter State Hospital Museum, creating a character who was not only a talented painter - she'd been committed to an insane asylum by her family, a widespread practice at the time that pioneering journalist Nellie Bly wrote about first hand in 1887.
Mary Casanova will be talking about her book today at the Virginia Public Library at 12:00 PM CT as part of their Book Lovers' Tea series.
Register at https://www.virginiapubliclibrary.info/2372-2/ or by calling the library at 218-748-7525.
And she's also appearing this evening with the Arrowhead Regional Library at 7:00 PM CT.
Conversation moderated by Margi Preus
Pre-registration is required for this event.
Pre-registration closed Wednesday, but if you want to try your luck anyway, visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/alslegacywaterfall or call ALS at 218-741-3840. Zoom log-in information will be sent out 24 hours prior to the online workshop. The registration deadline for this event is Monday, April 5, 2021. Books are available for purchase through Zenith Bookstore https://www.zenithbookstore.com/waterfall or by calling 218-606-1777. This program, sponsored by Arrowhead Library System, was funded in part or in whole with money from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
You can learn more about the St. Peter State Hospital museum through their Facebook page and take a video tour here.
Waterfall by Mary Casanova is published by the University of Minnesota Press.
